Getting Started

Set up JustInvoice in a few minutes. Most steps are optional — start simple and add more as you need it.

1

Create your account

Sign up at the signup page. All you need is an email and password — no credit card required to get started.

2

Set up your business info

Go to Settings and fill in your business name, email, phone, and address. This info appears on every invoice you create.

Also set your invoice number prefix (e.g. INV, ACME) — invoices will be numbered like INV-2025-0001.

3

Configure sales tax optional

In Settings → Sales tax, enable your tax type (HST, GST, VAT, etc.) and enter the rate as a decimal.

Common rates: 0.05 = 5% GST, 0.13 = 13% Ontario HST, 0.20 = 20% UK VAT.

Once enabled, each new invoice will include a tax line automatically. You can also override per-invoice.

4

Enable online payments optional

To let clients pay by card directly on the invoice, you need a Stripe account.

  1. Sign up or log in at dashboard.stripe.com
  2. Go to Developers → API keys
  3. Copy your Secret key (starts with sk_test_ or sk_live_)
  4. Paste it into Settings → Payments (Stripe) → Your key

Once set, a "Pay now" button will appear on your client-facing invoices. Stripe handles the payment — money goes directly to your Stripe account.

Note: Start with a sk_test_ key to test, switch to sk_live_ for real payments.

5

Enable email sending optional

JustInvoice can email invoices directly to your clients. Emails are sent from a shared sender address — great for getting started quickly.

Email sending is pre-configured on the hosted version. If you're self-hosting, set RESEND_API_KEY in your .env file (get a free key at resend.com).

6

Create your first invoice

Once your settings are saved:

  1. Go to your Dashboard and click New invoice
  2. Enter your client's name and email
  3. Add one or more line items with descriptions, quantities, and prices
  4. Set issue and due dates, then hit Save
  5. From the invoice view, either Email to client or copy the share link

Your client gets a clean, professional invoice page where they can download the PDF and (if you've set up Stripe) pay online.

That's it. Most freelancers are fully set up in under 5 minutes. If something's not working, check your Settings page for status indicators on each feature.